Labèque sisters lead the way in popularizing piano duo genre

French pianists Katia, left, and Marielle Labèque / Courtesy of LG Arts Center

French pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque will return to Korea later this month with a piano duo rendition of an opera by the renowned U.S. composer Philip Glass. The recital comes at a time when piano music for four hands or two pianos is gaining more popularity on the world stage.

In a written interview ahead of their performance in Korea, the pianists reflected on their musical journey and their innovative programming for Korean audiences.

They chose to become a duo early on rather than taking separate ways as soloists, even though they gained recognition for their solo skills. The pair began performing together in 1968 at the Paris Conservatory. In 1970, they officially launched their career with a recording of French composer Olivier Messiaen's (1908-1992) two-piano work "Visions de l’Amen."

The sisters built a world of their own by taking an unusual path for more than 50 years. Contemporary music composers such as Pierre Boulez (1925-2016) and György Ligeti (1923-2006) experimented with new sounds through the sisters’ four hands, and their 1981 album of George Gershwin’s "Rhapsody in Blue," arranged for two pianos, sold more than 500,000 copies — proving the popular potential of the piano duo format as well.

They will play for Korean audiences for the first time in seven years with "The Cocteau Trilogy," on April 26 at LG Arts Center Seoul and at Gangneung Arts Center on April 28. The program reimagines three operas — "Orphée," "La Belle et la Bête" and "Les Enfants Terribles" — composed by U.S. composer Philip Glass based on films by French director Jean Cocteau, arranged for two pianos.

The sisters explained that with just two pianos, elements that cannot be heard in an orchestral version come through and offer an opportunity to discover the beauty of this music in a completely different way.

Korean pianist Lee Hyuk, left, embraces his younger brother and pianist Lee Hyo after competing in the third round of the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Oct. 14, 2025. Courtesy of Chopin Institute

Special chemistry on keyboard

Thanks to their efforts, the piano duo genre has been gaining more attention. The deep trust built over time — whether between siblings or between teacher and student — makes a special chemistry on stage.

At the recently concluded Tongyeong International Music Festival, Dutch brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen took the stage. Korean brothers Lee Hyuk and Lee Hyo, who made themselves known during the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2025, will present a duo recital at Seoul Arts Center on May 24.

Last year, a duo recital by superstar pianist and 2022 Cliburn winner Yunchan Lim and his longtime teacher Sohn Min-soo, a professor at the New England Conservatory, made headlines not only in the Korean classical music scene but also at the prestigious Verbier Festival in Switzerland.

Piano duo music lays bare the individuality and differences of the two performers. According to the Labèque sisters, this is also the secret to their longevity. Katia, who favors the higher register, and Marielle, who mainly takes the lower range, differ as distinctly in musical style as in personality.

The sisters added that sometimes they have intense debates, but that tension is the only path to meaningful achievement.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.